Wireless communication networks are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content, such as voice, data, and so on. Typical wireless communication networks may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmission power, etc.). Earlier examples of such multiple-access systems may include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, and frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, and more recent examples include orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems and the like. Additionally, the systems can conform to specifications such as third generation partnership project (3GPP), 3GPP long-term evolution (LTE), ultra mobile broadband (UMB), evolution data optimized (EV-DO), etc.
Generally, wireless multiple-access communication systems may simultaneously support communication for multiple wireless devices. Each wireless device may communicate with one or more base stations via transmissions on forward and reverse links. The forward link (or downlink) refers to the communication link from base stations to wireless devices, and the reverse link (or uplink) refers to the communication link from wireless devices to base stations.
To supplement conventional base stations, additional low-power wireless routers may be deployed to provide more robust wireless coverage to wireless devices. For example, low-power wireless routers (e.g., which can be commonly referred to as femto nodes, femtocell nodes, pico nodes, micro nodes, etc.) that participate within a cellular provider's network can be deployed for incremental capacity growth, richer user experience, in-building or other specific geographic coverage, and/or the like. By way of another example, an independent wireless router using unlicensed bandwidth may be adapted to operate in a typical WiFi deployment model, while providing similar, if not the same, quality of service (QoS), mobility, and security as regular LTE (e.g., macro base stations provided by a mobile network operator (MNO)). The wireless router may be particularly targeted for non-MNOs (e.g., personal homes, businesses, etc.).
In a home/business deployment of a wireless router, the owners of the home/business deploy the wireless router located on their premises. In some configurations, such low-power wireless routers are connected to the Internet via broadband connection (e.g., digital subscriber line (DSL) router, cable or other modem, etc.), which can provide the backhaul link to the mobile network operator (MNO). In other examples, the wireless router may be configured to connect to a neighboring macro cell base station via in-band communications to provide the backhaul link.
In some implementation models, the MNO distributes and/or sells a wireless router to customers for home or other local use to provide an additional point of access to the wireless communication network operated by the MNO. Those wireless routers may be associated with a number of users, such as under a family plan or other group plan. When the people comprising the family or group for the plan account changes, such as when an individual member of a family changes coverage, or when an enterprise group adds or removes employees, the wireless router typically has to be reconfigured to reflect that change. Conventional processes for a change to the group are the same as the termination of the wireless router. For example, the wireless router may be required to be physically returned back to the MNO and either the same wireless router (after reconfiguration) or a replacement wireless router (with the new configuration) is sent back to the user. However, the time that it typically takes to reconfigure the same wireless router and/or send a newly configured wireless router to the user is typically long (e.g., weeks), resulting in an undesirable period of time where the user's locale does not have use of the wireless router.